Looking Ahead at RSA Conference 2015

Information security is not a static field. There is always something to learn, from experts in the field and from peers in the industry. One way to do that is by attending conferences—and RSA Conference 2015 is coming up. Are you ready?This is as good time as any for a reminder: RSA Conference 2015 is in April. Make that mental adjustment now—instead of spending a week in San Francisco in late February, we can look forward to the conference in the spring.

The life of an infosec professional is a busy one: they fix problems, keep track of what is happening on all devices, and monitor network activity. There are strategic projects that go beyond daily firefighting, such as rolling out encryption, developing new policies and processes, and making improvements to the infrastructure. Yet it’s important to find the time to keep learning—threats, strategies, and best practices. RSA Conference is jam-packed and busy, but there is plenty to learn.

And before you ask, speakers and presentations for RSAC 2015 have not yet been finalized. Letters of acceptance and declines will go out on Jan. 20. That said, it’s clear there will be a lot of interesting sessions and talks at RSA Conference 2015. Check out Hugh Thompson and Britta Glade’s webcast discussion on some of the most common words that showed up in the abstracts and titles.

A lot of keynote speakers have been finalized—but the list isn’t complete! Along with industry stalwarts, RSAC 2015 will feature interesting voices. I, for one, am looking forward to hearing Zak Ebrahim, author of The Terrorist's Son: A Story of Choice. A little different from the typical infosec talk, but it will be relevant, especially with recent discussions around cyber-terrorism. Stay tuned for the Friday speaker…

If you haven’t registered yet, early-bird registration (with discounts) closes Jan. 9. Regular registration will still be open. More information available on the conference website.

Do you know about Peer2Peer? These are sessions capped to just 25 people in the room where groups come together to discuss a specific security topic. Share your experiences and ask questions with like-minded peers. Easy to miss among all the great things happening that week, but P2P sessions are highly rated by past attendees. It may be the most productive thing you do that week. If you want to submit a topic, applications are due by Jan 28. More information available on the FAQ page.

Lots of new things on tap for 2015, including RSAC TV, the onsite recording studio. RSAC TV programming will feature the best of RSA Conference content distilled into concise and engaging presentations. Speaker interviews and RSAC Studio sessions will be recorded throughout the week. Join the live studio audience, which would be located next door to the Innovation Sandbox, to hear from some of the best minds in infosec.

Stay tuned—RSAC 2015 will feature new session formats and ways to interact, participate, and learn. Will you be part of the crowds at Moscone Center in April?